1 research outputs found
Thermal adaptation and physiological responses to environmental stress in tunicates
Understanding the multifaceted nature of environmental fluctuations is crucial to
predicting the physiological adjustments utilised by organisms in resisting or adapting to changes
over time. Here we investigate the effects of 2 environmental stressors on tunicates, whose fitness
can have important repercussions on the quality of habitat. Specifically, we report respiration rate
(RR), clearance rate (CR), and assimilation efficiency (AE) of the ascidian Styela plicata in
response to a range of temperatures and varying food availability. Temperature-dependent RR
was observed only within a portion of the thermal window of the species. Significant differences
in clearance rates were detected among organisms fed with varying algal concentrations, while no
significant influence of food concentrations on AE was observed. This plasticity of the physiological
rates and the development of ubiquitous mechanisms such as temperature-insensitive aerobic
metabolism suggest a competitive advantage of this group. Such knowledge may allow for more
accurate predictions of the physiological and evolutionary mechanisms driving current and future
distribution of this species